Coconut Oil and Fat Loss – Real or Hype?

I'm sure that you've heard about the benefits of cooking with and consuming olive oil, but have you been exposed to the amazing health and weight loss benefits of coconut oil?

This tropical oil is made from the dried fruit of the coconut palm tree, which is referred to as "The Tree of Life" in Asia and the Pacific Islands because of its history as both a dietary staple and a healing medicine.

In this article we're breaking down what's real and what's hype so that you know exactly why you should include this in your Beyond Diet lifestyle.

Here's What's Real...

Like I've said in several other articles, blog posts, and the Beyond Diet Manual, saturated fat is not nearly as damaging as the media has made it out to be. In fact, there are a few saturated fats that are actually great for your health and fat burning ability and coconut oil is one of them.

While nearly all saturated fats are considered long-chain fatty acids (LCFA), coconut oil is different because it's a medium-chained fatty acid (MCFA). MCFA like coconut oil not only have no negative effect on cholesterol, they can actually lower your risk of both atherosclerosis and heart disease. Consuming coconut oil can also lower your risk of heart disease even though it is a saturated fat.

MCFAs are also one of the most readily available fats that our bodies can utilize. Our livers are able to break these fats down fairly quickly so our bodies can use them as energy instead of storing them in our fat cells. This is what makes coconut oil so amazing for fat loss - it can increase your metabolism and that means fast fat burning...just what you want!

Sign Up for Emails!

Want more from Beyond Diet? Sign up now for our daily weight loss secrets.

Beyond Diet will never share your email address and you can opt out at any time. Privacy Policy

And Here's What's Hype...

Most of the hype that has been generated about coconut oil, and all saturated fats for that matter, can be traced back to the extensive smear campaigns encouraged by the soybean companies.

Do you remember a few years back when the health benefits of soy were touted everywhere while saturated fat became the enemy of weight loss? Commercials, print ads, and "research findings" all praised soy and much like many marketing campaigns, they convinced much of America that that was the truth.

A recent study in the Journal of "Lipids" found that people who consumed about 2 tablespoons of coconut oil daily for 12 weeks had greater reductions in abdominal fat and waist circumference than those who ingested the same amount of soy bean oil.

Another study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition determined that people who ate MCFAs -- the acids in coconut oil -- lost more abdominal fat, intra-abdominal fat and total body fat than people who ate olive oil instead.

Beyond the negative effects that soy can have on your weight loss, I do not advocate the consumption of soy in any form for a number of health reasons...but that's another article...

The Moral of the Story...

Coconut oil is a healthy fat that should be used in your kitchen as much as possible - in your coffee, cooking meat, poultry and vegetables, as a substitute for butter in baking, and the possibilities outside of the kitchen are endless as well...

If you want to include coconut oil in your fat-burning meals (and I strongly suggest you do), get the best quality, unprocessed, cold-pressed virgin coconut oil and support your body's natural weight loss ability.

You can find this high-quality variety in health food stores but if you don't want to pay full price, you want it delivered to your door, and you want a chance at a completely free jar...

I know nutrition can sometimes be confusing. Let's get into the good and bad of cholesterol, saturated fat, metabolism, and inflammation - and what it all means when it comes to coconut oil. Read More »